Care and coverage

Kaiser Permanente is committed to providing programs that facilitate access to care for vulnerable populations. This commitment includes providing financial assistance to qualified low-income, uninsured, and underinsured patients when the ability to pay for services is a barrier to accessing emergency and medically necessary care.

Improving health care access is fundamental to our mission. We accomplish this through:

• Medical Financial Assistance
• Medicaid and Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+)

Medical Financial Assistance

Our Medical Financial Assistance program helps low-income, uninsured, or underserved patients who need help paying for all or part of their medical care. The program covers emergency and medically necessary care provided at a Kaiser Permanente medical office or pharmacy, or provided by a Kaiser Permanente physician or network provider. 

Patients must complete an application and meet eligible requirements. Qualifying household income is at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. Patients who have experienced a catastrophic event or who meet special circumstance criteria may be eligible for financial assistance, regardless of household income.

The types of services not covered are premiums and dues, hearing aids, and cosmetic, non-urgent services.

• Our care programs can assist people in several ways. We offer financial counseling to determine if a patient is eligible for public assistance or Kaiser Permanente financial assistance.
• We provide free or low-cost care to low-income people for medically necessary services provided at our medical offices and through our network providers.
• We circumvent legal action for nonpayment of medical bills against any person who is unemployed and without other significant income.

Please note: The MFA program is not a form of health insurance and cannot be used to subsidize premiums, as explained in our MFA policy. For uninsured patients, charges for necessary medical care are limited to no more than the Medicare reimbursement rates. Download or request program information.

Publicly subsidized programs

Kaiser Permanente participates in publicly subsidized programs such as Health First Colorado (Colorado’s Medicaid Program) and Child Health Plan Plus in order to make our quality care accessible to more people in our communities and serve vulnerable populations.

• Health First Colorado is a statewide, public assistance program for Coloradans who qualify. Health First Colorado provides free or low-cost health coverage to individuals and their families.
• Child Health Plan Plus is a public health program that offers low-cost health and dental insurance for Colorado’s uninsured children and pregnant women who qualify. Learn more about CHP+.

Kaiser Permanente is committed to serving as a leader in public policy for improving the delivery of care for the underserved, and to represent the health interests of all our community members.

Our practice of evidence-based medicine and expertise in preventive care and disease management will serve to improve the delivery of care in our communities and influence the management of our public programs.

If you or your family members need health care, there are options you can afford. For more information visit colorado.gov/peak.